Jackson football picks: Take Springport over Homer, Manchester over East Jackson, Hanover-Horton over Napoleon

SPRINGPORT, MI—When the football season began at the start of August, Springport coach Matt Schwartzkopf wasn’t sure what to expect from his team.

The Spartans kicked off two-a-days with a depleted linebacking corps, a junior quarterback who missed most of his sophomore season with a broken leg and several key would-be seniors who elected not to play this season, leaving Springport’s returning backfield all-but-wiped out.

And when injuries hit early in the season and the young and inexperienced Spartans lost their first two games to Vandercook Lake and Jonesville, teams that combined to go 2-16 last year, panic could have easily set in.

But it never did. And as the team got healthier, so did the results. The Spartans have battled back to even their record at 3-3 overall, 2-3 in the Big Eight Conference.

Just how tough is it to battle back from an 0-2 start?

Seven teams in the Jackson area dropped their first two games this year. Only Springport has a winning record since.

The other six teams that started 0-2? They have a combined record of 4-20 in the last four weeks.

As Springport’s wins increased so did the Spartans’ confidence. Perhaps most impressive, the closer the game, the more poised the youthful Spartans have played.

“Our guys are resilient as heck,” Schwartzkopf said. “I don’t think pressure gets to them at all. I’ve probably been more flustered on the inside than these guys have shown as the season has gone on.”

Friday night, Springport travels to rival Homer where the winner stays alive in the postseason chase. The loser will almost assuredly miss out on the playoffs.

Homer’s season has been a rocky one. The Trojans enter Friday night’s game at a crossroads. Are they still the team that began the year 3-1 that had playoff and even Big Eight title hopes? Or are they the team that’s been outscored 84-21 in the last two weeks?

Homer isn’t as bad as it showed last week against Jonesville. Whether the Trojans can keep up with a Springport team that is still flying high off its upset win over defending league champion Union City two weeks ago, however, is another matter. Springport 38, Homer 18.

Predictions

I had a bit of a bounce-back week, going 11-3 on my picks, though I didn’t see the lopsided wins by Jonesville and Hanover-Horton coming.

And then my nemesis struck.

After burning me all season, I gave Brooklyn Columbia Central one last chance. Surely the Golden Eagles would beat a winless Erie-Mason team, right?

Not so much.

In six weeks, I’m 2-4 in picking the Columbia Central game and riding a three-game losing streak.

For the season, my record stands at 63-19, a win percentage of 77 percent (though I’d be 81 percent without the Columbia Central games).

Quick hits:

East Jackson at Manchester

Despite a loss last week, Manchester still has a real shot at sharing the Cascades Conference crown. Don’t expect the Flying Dutchmen to squander it by being upset by East Jackson. Manchester 38, East Jackson 16.

Hanover-Horton at Napoleon

The Comets should be riding high after their big win over Vandercook Lake, and winning two in a row would be a good confidence boost heading into a meeting with Grass Lake next week. Hanover-Horton 26, Napoleon 13.

Dundee at Columbia Central

How’s the saying go when it gets to “Fool me four times…”? I don’t know, but since I’m picking the Vikings, I’m sure the Golden Eagles will play their best game of the year just to spite me. Dundee 32, Columbia Central 20.

Upset special:

Jackson at Lansing Eastern

Maybe it doesn’t count as an upset since neither team has won this season, but Jackson won’t get a better chance to get a win. Something tells me the Vikings get it done. Jackson 22, Lansing Eastern 20.